Samsung beats HTC with first Android phone
Taiwanese scrap over first Android model to hit the streets
By Dan Nystedt | Published: 13:00, 10 August 2009
Samsung has joined with network operator Taiwan Mobile to try to steal the spotlight from rival HTC by launching a handset with Google's Android mobile software, the Samsung i7500, the day before its competitor's phone is launched.
HTC, the Taiwanese company that worked with Google to develop the first smartphone based on Android, the T-Mobile G1 (also called HTC Dream) had already announced its third and latest Android handset in Taiwan, the HTC Hero.
HTC reportedly plans to team up with mobile service provider Chunghwa Telecom to market the Hero in Taiwan. The companies worked together to launch the HTC Magic, which comes free from Chunghwa with certain mobile service contracts.
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Samsung announced the i7500, its first ever Android-based smartphone, in April. The device has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera and 8GB of internal memory, among other features.
The HTC Hero also sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and other features.
Developed by Google, Android is a smartphone operating system that is meant to make web browsing easy, especially on Google sites such as YouTube and Google Maps.
